


you were there when times were at their darkest

by booksameliad



Series: no matter what you say or what you do, when i'm alone i'd rather be with you [1]
Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Richie Tozier-centric, Sad Richie Tozier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-01-08 21:55:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12262824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksameliad/pseuds/booksameliad
Summary: five times bill gave richie a piggyback and one time he carried him





	1. 1.

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12181386) by [trashmouth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trashmouth/pseuds/trashmouth). 



The first time it happened was when Richie fell asleep multiple times that day, then fell asleep in the five minutes of him and Bill waiting for Stan and Eddie.

The day hadn't started out great for any of them.

Stan almost got hit by a bus, Bill woke up and cut himself on a butter knife, Eddie almost got in trouble with his mom, and Richie almost tripped down his stairs.

So yeah, it wasn't so great for any of them.

So, of course, the universe goes for Richie. Again.

Richie fell asleep in first period, which thankfully was just history. Also, all they were doing that day was just watching a movie for fun, so it wasn't like Richie was missing anything important. (Other than Bill and Ted's 69 jokes, but he had already seen the movie before.)

Then, in second period, which was English Reading, he fell asleep. He fell asleep in his favorite subject. And, he was trying his best not to get on the bad side of any teacher this year (especially his reading teacher) so falling asleep did no favors whatsoever.

Third period, he falls asleep for about five minutes in Study Hall, but gets poked awake by Stan, who's the only one allowed (and usually able) to do that.

"Thanks." He mumbles as he yawns, and Stan frowns when he sees Richie's shirt lift slightly up.

_Was he always that skinny?_

Fourth period, isn't much of a big deal either. It's literally just free time for his class.

Fifth, he almost falls asleep, but then realizes that he actually needs to focus today since they're learning something new.

At lunch, he falls asleep just like he always does. He shoves his unopened lunchbox away from his as he rests his head on his arms.

Sixth, that's when the sleeping becomes hell. Because he falls asleep in _science._ The most hated and hardest subject at his school. It's not even eighth grade science! Or sixth grade! It's fucking seventh grade, and of course he falls asleep when they're discussing metamorphic rocks, which is what he's struggling with (how do they expect him to remember that slate, phyollite (whatever it is), scheist, and gneiis (how do they expect him to remember how to spell it?) are non-foliated while marble and quartzite are foliated? Or is it switched?) and the only reason he wakes up is because Eddie smacks him in the head when the bell rings so that no one else will hear.

 

"Don't forget about the test next Friday!" The teacher, Mrs. Grace, reminds, and Richie wants to punch that damn smile of her face.

 

How can she be so calm and happy while everyone else is struggling?

  
Richie yawns while he heads towards his locker, stuffing his science stuff into there and grabbing what he needs for writing class. He hears kids shouting in the hallway and sounds of flesh hitting flesh and kids hitting the lockers, but he ignored the noises as he ducked under kids and speed-walked to his classroom.

"Didn't you hear?"

"Four-eyes... a boy!"

"...gross and ugly with those glasses..."

Richie looks down at he tries to ignore the words.

"What are we doing today in class?"

He hears Stan ask the teacher as he sits behind him, setting his stuff underneath the desk.

"Well, everyone got a 100 on their test last week, so today will just be free time." He announced.

The kids cheered, and normally Richie would join in. I mean, you get free time! You can tell dirty jokes! Talk about the bullies in your school! Talk about the teachers! Talk about what they're going to do after school! They could talk about _anything_ _,_ and if they're quiet enough the teacher won't hear, which means they won't get in trouble.

But today he doesn't feel like joining in. His head is pounding, his eyes feel like closing every five minutes, and he just wants to sleep.

So he grabs his jacket he put on the back of the chair and uses it as a pillow, closing his eyes and just trying to sleep in the middle of the chaos going on around.

As he falls asleep, he does hear kids still talking about him, and he just wants it to stop.

-

A poke in the side started the process of him waking up.

"R-Richie, come on."

Richie groaned, lifting his head and opening his eyes to the bright light. A yawn escaped as he straightened in his chair.

"C-come on."

Richie stood up, running his eyes as he bent down to grab his stuff but it wasn't there. Nor his jacket or anything he brought. He glanced up at Bill, about to panic, when he saw hai backpack in one of his hands.

"You packed that for me?" He asked, disbelief mixed in with the tiredness.

"N-not really. S-stan did." Bill said, and Richie slightly smiled.

"We still going to your house?"

"Y-yeah."

"Okay."

Richie held out his hand and Bill handed him his backpack.

"C-c'mon. We have to wait by the e-entrance for Eddie and S-Stan."

Richie followed Bill towards the entrance.

It was cool when they got out, and Richie sat down on the steps, leaning against his backpack. He rested his arms on it, and put his head atop his arms. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep, the pull of sleep pulling him in.

-

"Richie. Richie. Rrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiicccccchhhhhhiiiiiieeeeee." Eddie sighed as he kept poking Richie.

"Wha-what." Richie groaned, his headache worsening as he opened his eyes.

"We gotta go to-" Eddie started, but Bill cut him off.

"A-are you okay?" He asked, concern clear in his voice.

Richie shrugged, immediately putting a hand to his head after the action.

"D-does it hurt everytime you open your eyes?" Bill asked, barely stuttering.

Richie gave him a thumbs up, and Bill thought for a moment.

"Do you want me to g-give you a p-piggyback ride?"

Everyone looked at Bill like he was crazy when he suggested the idea.

Well, everyone except Richie, who nodded his head. "I like that idea." He said, holding a hand over his eyes.

Stan grabbed Richie's backpack and Eddie grabbed Bill's while Richie got onto Bill's back, and off they went towards Bill's house.

Richie clutched onto Bill, wrapping his arms around him as he rested his head on Bill's shoulder, closing his eyes while feeling like he's the luckiest guy in the world.

"Y-you okay there?" Bill whispered, turning to look at Richie for a few seconds.

"Y-yeah." Richie stuttered, face going pink at the thought of how close their lips had been.

Maybe the day wasn't so bad after all.


	2. 2.

The second time was when Richie twisted his ankle.

I mean, sure, Richie didn't really _twist_ his ankle. He just fell into a hole when he was chasing Eddie through the tall grass when they were outside for gym, couldn't see the hole, and he stumbled because someone shoved him. And when he fell into that hole, his body twisted, but his foot didn't twist with it and-

Yeah he twisted his ankle.

Yeah, he wasn't proud of that statement.

But, it wasn't entirely his fault though.

He had been chasing Eddie through the grass, trying to high-five him after Eddie gave him a really good comeback, but Eddie just wouldn't have it, so Richie was reduced to running through the tall grass. I mean, all he wanted was a _high-five_. It wasn't like he was wanting to kiss Eddie, and besides. He doesn't like Eddie like that.

So, it would initially be Eddie's fault for him twisting his ankle (and the teacher made him walk on it!), but there's another factor to be added in.

The person who shoved him.

And it could be any of the Loser's! It could be Beverly, or Bill, or Stan, or Ben, or even Mike! But Richie is pretty damn sure he knows who it was.

Stanley fucking Uris.

Stan the man fucking Uris.

Stan Fucking Uris.

Fucking Stan Uris (he could do that.)

One reason he's sure it's Stan?

Stan fucking said earlier in the day, "If I get a chance to shove Richie and not get in trouble, I will do it."

When did Stan have a fucking chance to shove him?

_Fucking gym class when_ _they're_ _on_ _the_ _football_ _field._

So thanks Stan! Thanks for twisting his fucking ankle!

And, again, the teacher makes him walk on it!

Where was he?

Oh, he stepped into the fucking hole because fucking Stan shoved him and his body turned and he was suddenly facing was had been on his left side instead of looking straight ahead, so forgive him for screaming the f word (but the teacher didn't hear it, thank god).

"Oh my god, Richie!" Beverly exclaimed as she hurried forward, the others right behind her. Eddie turned around, about to sign in relief, but then he saw the others running towards Richie, who was in the grass, moaning in pain, so obviously, he wasn't going to sign in relief.

"Richie!" He shrieked, heading towards Richie.

Richie looked up at him and tried for a huge smile, but he only gave a small weak one.

"Don't worry, Eddie. Don't worry, guys, please." He said as he looked at them. "I'm used to pain worse than this, so it's fine, really!"

"Still, you twisted your ankle, so come on, we're telling the teacher." Eddie said, tugging on Richie's arm with concern clear in his voice and face.

"You expect me to walk on this?" Richie asked, looking at them in amazement.

"No, but who would carry you?" Stan asked, frowning.

"Not me." Ben answered, and Mike, Beverly, Stan, and Eddie all answered at once. "Not me."

They looked at Bill, noticing he hadn't said not me.

"Bill?" Ben tried.

"Help Richie get on my back." He said, slightly kneeling down.

"Man, you're crazy." Ben said as he shook his head.

"How else will Richie get over to the teacher without hurting his foot worse?" Bill asked.

"Yeah I don't have a good response." Ben replied, taking a step back to give Stan, Bill, and Richie room.

"Well tally-ho my good fellows! Seems like I'll be carried off into magical world full of hot girls catering to my needs, so see you later!" Richie exclaimed as Stan helped him onto Bill's back.

"Tally-no Richie."

"Tally-hoe!" Richie retaliated as Bill started to walk.

"Why am I friends with you?" Eddie asked as he walked alongside them.

"Because we da cool kids." Richie smiled.

"You! Young man! Get off of his back!" The gym teacher barked, startling Bill as Richie fell off his back.

"Fu-" Richie moaned as his foot slammed in to the ground, but he cut himself off as he bit his tounge.

"Why were you carrying Richie on your back?" The teacher asked, quickly getting in front of Bill, and Richie wanted to speak up so badly, wanted to tell the teacher to fuck off, but he was bleeding too badly and couldn't get a word out, much less a sentence.

"H-he twisted h-h-his a-a-ankle." Bill stuttered, staring at the teacher defiantly.

"Well damn, now he should be treated like a baby!" The teacher sarcastically said, stepping closer to Bill. "Because of you carrying the boy because his ankle hurt, I feel like he should run a lap around the football field, shouldn't he?"

Before the teacher could tell Richie to do so or for Bill to reply, the bell rang inside, signaling the end of the day.

Bill quickly stepped away from the teacher and lifted Richie up, pulling an arm over his shoulder as Stan stepped over and grabbed his other arm and put it over his shoulder. They started walking towards the school, so that they could get changed before everyone else (or maybe just stay in the biggest stall with Richie so no one hurts him) but they're probably just going to go home in their sweaty gym clothes.

Besides, they have no tests or quizzes this week, and they have no homework.

They could probably just leave right now because it doesn't matter of they get their crap right now. Well, it'll matter to Stan if he gets his crap right now, so they'll wait in front of the school.

"H-hey R-Richie, since you can't r-really walk, do y-you want to get on my b-back?" Bill asked while he and the rest of the Losers Club waited in front of the school for Stan. Richie had had his eyes closed, but he opened them while he turned to look at Bill.

"Yeah, I kinda do." Richie said as he got closer to Bill.

"Do you want me to help?" Beverly asked as she walked over to them. She knew that they would need help, but from the look in Richie's eyes, he would try to deny help.

"Nope! We have this under control!"

  **-**

"We did not have that under control." Richie admitted as they walked towards Bill's house for the sleepover they're going to have.

"Yeah, you didn't." Beverly laughed as Richie have her the middle finger.

"Ugh, I just want to sleep forever." Richie mumbled as he wrapped his arms around Bill's neck.

"T-t-then just g-go to sleep." Bill told him, and Richie's eyes widened (slightly. In his mind, it was slightly.) as he looked at Bill.

"R-really?" He asked, and Bill nodded his head.

"I-I'll wake you up when w-we get to my h-house."

"Thank you." Richie smiled as he leaned his head against Bill's shoulder.

He really does have great friends.


	3. Chapter 3

It isn't the silence in the house that keeps him awake at night. It isn't the faint sound of the TV playing reruns of an old show as his mom sits on the couch near it, a bottle of beer in her hands as blankly stares at the TV either. Nor is it the sound of bottles smashing the walls as his mom attacks the house, messing up everything Richie painfully cleaned.

 

It's the creaks of the steps as the wind rustled through the house. It's the curtains flapping from the open windows. It's the drunken mumbling of his mother. It's the little things that wouldn't bother anyone else but him.

  
Tonight, for once, there wasn't silence.

His parents were screaming at each other downstairs, at 4:30 in the fucking morning, about Richie. Again.

He couldn't hear whole sentences or words, but he could piece together what they're screaming about.

Him.

About the fuck-up Richie Tozier and how he wastes space, money, and food.

He stuffs his pillow over his ears as he shuts his eyes and cries, trying to ignore them.

-

When he wakes up at 6 am (a whole hour after he finally fell asleep) and goes downstairs with his backpack heavy on his shoulders and his journal light in his arms, he finds his mom drunk on the couch, almost fully drunk but not quite there, yet far enough to not notice him as he quickly steps across the kitchen floor, and his dad's car is missing from the driveway.

_Probably_ _to cheat on his mom again._

_Then the whole cycle of his dad and mom screaming at each_ _other_ _until_ _5:30 in the fucking morning can start_ _again_ _tonight._

Richie sighs as he quietly shuts the refrigerator, feeling his stomach growl as he thinks of the lone bottle of mustard left in the fridge, but even if he wanted to eat it, he couldn't. The expiration date was from December 6 of last year.

He grips his journal that's filled with all the world's he's created as he opens the front door, waiting for his mom to come down at him with all the fury in the world, but she doesn't, so he sighs in relief as he quietly shuts the door and steps off the porch, and starts the walk to school.

-

Richie feels exhausted the entire school day.

He almost falls asleep in every class, and he starts to think that passing out and never waking up sounded pretty good during science class.

Luckily, Stan saves him from certain detention by poking him everytime he closes his eyes for more than five seconds.

"Thanks." He hoarsely says at the end of class, yawning right after he finishes that one word.

"No problem." Stan replies, concerned with Richie as he walks to his locker.

_Should he tell Bill?_

**-**

Bill slightly grinned as Richie sighed beside him.

"Why do they make us go to school Bill? It's not like we'll use most of this stuff in real life. The only important ones are reading, writing, and some of the stuff for math. We literally don't need anything for science and most of the stuff for math."

"I-I don't know why Richie. T-they just do."

Richie gives a small grin before turning to look at his shoes again as he walks alongside Bill.

They were heading towards Bill's house, which was where Richie would be spending the night tonight. It was going to be a sleepover, except instead of video games it would be them reading books and instead of talking about girls they would be silent with Bill carading his hand through Richie's hair as Richie rested his head in his lap.

-

Bill is concerned.

No, not like "I hope he'll be okay." then, merrily continues on his fucking jolly way.

No, like "IS HE OKAY? IS HE FINE? IS HE HURTING INSIDE RIGHT NOW?" with him feeling like pulling out his hair.

He feels confusion as he sees the bags under Richie's eyes. He feels anger when Richie bends over and his shirt rises, and Bill can see bruises and how thin he is before Richie sits back up and Bill has to look away. He feels sadness when Richie looks like he's about to cry when the teacher starts going off-topic on how neglected kids deserve to be neglected (that fucking asshole teacher is WRONG).

Bill feels all those emotions, topped off with concern everytime Richie doesn't make a joke, doesn't smile, doesn't answer, looks like he's staring off into space.

And it feels _wrong._

Richie shouldn't have to deal with this. Richie shouldn't have to deal with parents that are always screaming (Richie hasn't told the others about this, but he has told Stan and Bill) at him. Richie shouldn't have to deal with parents who neglect him. Richie shouldn't have to deal with parents who blame everything on him and make him buy everything. Richie shouldn't have to deal with parents who don't love him.

Bill doesn't want Richie to deal with all that shit, but Richie has to or else he'll be put in an orphanage and no one will adopt him, so he'll have to leave Derry and leave all his friends behind.

So, Bill feels so fucking concerned for his friend who refuses to let him help.

-

As they walk into the house and close the door behind them, Richie feels relaxed for once.

And he feels bad for feeling relaxed.

It's not his fucking house. It's someone else's, and he doesn't even deserve to feel relaxed there, or even to be stepping foot inside the house. He doesn't deserve to be smiling and joking around with Bill as they try to figure out what they want to eat.

He falters in his step as he turns and sees a picture of him and Bill smiling on the fridge, pinned up. He turns to look at Bill, who doesn't notice that he's stopped, so before Bill notices, he smiles and goes to help dig around in the fridge for food.

-

Richie's crying.

He's crying on the couch, clutching Bill's shirt as Bill hugs him, trying his best to comfort him. Bill rubs circles into Richie's back with one hand as he used his other hand to take Richie's glasses and put them off to the side.

"Th-they hate me B-Bill! They h-hit me and n-neglect me and-and-and-" Richie sobbed, trying to get the words put, trying desperately to explain to Bill that his home life isn't perfect at all, but Bill doesn't need Richie to use words. Bill doesn't even need Richie to explain since he told him the whole thing before, but still.

Bill knows Richie's trying, okay.

He knows Richie wants to explain, but Bill doesn't want Richie in pain.

-

"Hey guys?" Stan asks, looking around as the others say yes. "Where is Bill and Richie?"

"Richie was staying the night at Bill's, so maybe he finally told Bill and Bill told him that he likes him back and they're making out." Eddie grinned.

"Maybe the bed hugger trapped Bill in his iron grip." Beverly suggested, tapping the ground to an invisible beat.

"Maybe Richie is asleep on Bill's back as Bill carries him over there." Mike said, pointing over to the trees.

They all turned to look, surprised that Bill was that strong to carry Richie.

"Holy shit!"


	4. Chapter 4

Richie wouldn't be able to tell you much about the fourth time.

All he remembers is that he and Bill were supposed to meet the others at the Barrens, Bill suggested that he could carry Richie on his back, Richie agreed, and then he was on a log, laying down with his head in Bill's lap and his feet in Stan's lap.

From Bill's point of view, it was much more detailed.

First off, Bill and Richie went to Bill's house to get some food. 

Bill knows Richie doesn't have food at his house, barely eats except for the snacks his friends bring and whenever he goes over to their houses, so he convinces Richie to go to his house so they can eat before meeting up with the others.

Richie hesitantly agrees, but he's glad he agreed, because he's starving and Bill let's him eat whatever since his parents don't care about missing food.

And then, when they were inside the house, Richie stayed in the bathroom for 10 minutes, because he was crying because Bill was so nice and Richie needed that after the type of day he had.

(When Riche woke up that morning, he found his mom drunk on the couch, staring blankly at the TV and his father pulled up just as he started to walk away. He called him back, only to slap him hard because "I've heard about you hanging out with those boys around town, the outcasts, and you need to be careful, or you'll turn out like them." And he slaps Richie again (to make him feel more pain? To make sure he gets the message? To show that he's an abusive father and that Richie can't do anything about it because he's too scared?) before walking inside, and Richie can hear the screaming starting as he walks away.

And at school Henry shoved him to the ground and kids just laughed at him, laughing when he rushed to the boys bathroom instead of going into the lunchroom and eating.

But Bill came. So did Stan and Mike and Beverly (they had second lunch with him). They all came and just ate their lunch in there with Richie (they don't want to eat nasty school food) and Richie felt happy.)

So Richie stopped crying and tried to make it look like he hadn't been crying and stepped out, wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

And there they are, sitting in the living room, waiting for the other to suggest that they should go and meet the others at the Barrens, when Richie yawns really loudly and Bill laughs.

"Y-you tired?" He asks, smiling, and Richie can't help but smile back.

"Yeah. I didn't sleep much."

Bill grins then, and can't help to notice how beautiful Richie looks when he closes his eyes for a minute, but that's a thought yo add to the ever growing like of 'I think I like boys but I'll think about this later' pile.

But Richie doesn't open his eyes, and he looks like he's about to fall asleep, so Bill stutters out a question ("Do y-you want me to give you a p-piggyback ride?") and Richie nods, so he stands up and lets Richie climb on his back and just stays there, and he leaves the house and shuts the door and starts the small walk to the Barrens.

When he gets there, the only person there is Stan, which means he's either early or late.

"He-" Stan starts, turning to look at him before stopping because why was Richie on Bill's back?

"H-Hey." Bill says, walking over and wondering what to do with Richie.

"You going to tell me why you're carrying Richie on your back?" Stan asks after a few moments of silence, and Bill explains to him how Richie was tired and he offered to carry him on his back, and here they are.

Stan doesn't say anything, but just as Bill starts to get worried, Stan suggests an idea.

"Why don't you lay him down on the log, and that way he can sleep somewhere that isn't your back?"

Bill agrees, so now they're sitting on the log with the others losers in various spots, and Richie's head is in Bill's lap and his legs are in Stan's, and it's like it's a normal everyday thing.

Which it becomes.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get ready to cringe peeps

Hi to all of you reading this!

Who am I kidding, like five people will read this.

Anyways, I wanna announce that I'm going to be rewriting this because it's cringy as fuck, and I was rereading this and there were tons of mistakes. So, i'll hopefully be publishing the first chapter soon, and it'll be the next work in this series. 

I will be forever grateful if you read it, and bye!


End file.
